Diary-Free Creamy Mushroom-Vegetable Soup

This was one of those days where all I wanted was to wrap my hands around a bowl of steaming soup and let the warmth soothe my entire body.

I've been having thoughts of mushroom soup for weeks now so, the type of soup was a no brainer.

Since I was also working on a project for a client that needed easy to eat, nutrient dense foods that are fairly low in carbs I decided this soup would satisfy both needs. I made two versions of the soup, one that is lower in carbs and one that is a bit higher in carbs but more nutrient dense for my client.

I added rutabaga, also called Swede in many countries, to Version 1 of the soup as a way to thicken it while not increasing the carbs too much. Rutabaga is also an excellent source of excellent source of vitamin C, potassium, manganese, fiber, thiamin, vitamin B6, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus.

Version 2 the lower carb version, just omits the rutabaga, so it is a lower carb, brothy soup.

Both versions have a rich earthy mushroom flavor with the warm and comforting flavor of thyme and just enough non-dairy milk to add a slight creaminess to it.

So if you are following a low carb diet choose version 2. If you are following a slightly higher carb diet and want it to have even more nutrients, follow Version 1 (the original version). Whichever version you choose, may it soothe and comfort you!

Dairy Free Creamy Mushroom-Vegetable Soup 5.82 net carbs per serving for version 2. 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped 1 lg. garlic clove, coarsely chopped 2 cups cubed rutabaga 1 medium carrot, diced 8 oz. white mushrooms, quartered* 8 oz. crimini mushrooms, quartered 1 small zucchini, cubed (about 5 oz.) 5 cups vegetarian chicken broth or vegetable broth 3/4 tsp. dried thyme leaves unrefined sea salt and black pepper to taste 3 tbsp. roasted almond butter 1 cup unsweetened almond milk or any unsweetened plant based milk Chopped parsley for garnish, optional Several mushrooms, sliced and sautéed for garnish, optional* 1. In a large soup pot, heat extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat. Cook onion, garlic, rutabaga and carrot about 5 minutes or until onion is softened. 2. Add mushrooms and zucchini and cook for another two minutes, stirring often. 3. Add broth and thyme, then sea salt and pepper (I used 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper), to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered until vegetables are tender - about 25-30 minutes. 4. Add almond butter. Using an immersion blender in the soup pot, blend until smooth or transfer to a blender and with a vented lid and blend until smooth. Return to pot if using a blender. Stir in almond milk; heat just until warm. Do not boil. Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with chopped parsley and top with several sliced mushrooms, if desired. * If desired, reserve several mushrooms before quartering. Slice and sauté in the olive oil first then remove and reserve for a garnish. Continue with recipe as directed. Lower Carb Version 2: Omit rutabaga. This results in a brothier soup. You can thicken it with Glucomannan powder if you wish the soup to be thicker but I haven't tried it. Servings: 9 Nutrition Facts Serving size: 1/9 of a recipe (10 ounces). Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients. The salt, pepper and parsley are not included in the recipe nutrition data. Amount Per Serving Calories 89.24 Calories From Fat (48%) 43.01 Total Fat 4.95g Saturated Fat 0.47g Cholesterol 0mg Sodium 335.96mg Potassium 422.42mg Total Carbohydrates 9.79g Fiber 2.24g Sugar 5.31g Protein 3.22g